Monday, July 22, 2013

Yer out!

The other shoe has dropped in Major League Baseball's latest attempts to crack down on players' usage of performance enhancing drugs. As a result, arguably the best all around hitter in the game today will now have to take a seat(emphasis mine).

Major League Baseball has suspended Milwaukee Brewers slugger Ryan Braun without pay for the remainder of the 2013 season (totaling 65 games - ed.).

Braun will not contest the suspension, which was meted out for "violations of the Basic Agreement and its Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," according to a statement released by MLB.

"As I have acknowledged in the past, I am not perfect," Braun said in the statement. "I realize now that I have made some mistakes. I am willing to accept the consequences of those actions. This situation has taken a toll on me and my entire family, and it ... has been a distraction to my teammates and the Brewers organization.

"I am very grateful for the support I have received from players, ownership and the fans in Milwaukee and around the country. Finally, I wish to apologize to anyone I may have disappointed -- all of the baseball fans especially those in Milwaukee, the great Brewers organization, and my teammates. I am glad to have this matter behind me once and for all, and I cannot wait to get back to the game I love."

The portion of Braun's statement I have highlighted is quite a flip from 17 months ago. Upon winning his appeal of a 50-game suspension for a positive test, Braun said the following (again, emphasis mine).

"I am very pleased and relieved by today's decision," Braun said in a statement. "It is the first step in restoring my good name and reputation. We were able to get through this because I am innocent and the truth is on our side.

"We provided complete cooperation throughout, despite the highly unusual circumstances. I have been an open book, willing to share details from every aspect of my life as part of this investigation, because I have nothing to hide. I have passed over 25 drug tests in my career, including at least three in the past year."

Braun won his appeal last year for the simple reason that the chain of custody had been broken upon the collection of a urine sample he provided. The MLB drug policy states that a sample collected must be sent immediately, via Federal Express, to a laboratory designated by the league. In this case, the collector brought the sample to his home on a Saturday, stored it in a cool place and then shipped it out on Monday, which the Players Union argued violated the policy. As such, Braun prevailed not because the sample was clean from the outset, rather due to a technicality. But, again, if you read Braun's statement, it seemed to indicate that not only was the procedure flawed but that he flat out did not use any banned substances.

So if Braun never used PEDs or has never been associated with any outfit which has provided them (i.e. Biogenesis), then why did he accept a suspension?

After MLB's original meeting with Braun on June 29, at which he refused to answer questions about Biogenesis, he requested a second meeting, a source familiar with the discussions told T.J. Quinn of ESPN's "Outside The Lines." Braun, after realizing the significance of the evidence against him from questions in the first meeting, decided to meet again to strike a deal that would limit his suspension to this season, according to the source.

It is because of that deal that Braun's suspension was announced Monday, the source told Quinn. The plan remains for the rest of the suspensions stemming from the investigation to be announced all at once.

With the specter of "cheater" now hanging over Braun's head, the question now is will the Brewers' faithful receive him back in with open arms next season? I imagine many (including Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers) now feel duped after they so passionately defended Braun when he first proclaimed his innocence and then was steadfast in said proclamation after winning his appeal. As such, Dino Laurenzi, Jr., the collector who kept the aforementioned urine sample stored in his home for two days before shipping it out, had his integrity unfairly questioned.

I believe that a long-term suspension of a superstar such as Braun serves as an incredibly powerful message that any player associated with PEDs will be endure swift retribution by the league. I have a hard time believing that Braun will ever be able to rebuild his reputation after this latest saga. However, he may become an unwitting accomplice to eradicating the use of PEDs once and for all.

5 comments:

With the specter of "cheater" now hanging over Braun's head, the question now is will the Brewers' faithful receive him back in with open arms next season? I imagine many (including Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers) now feel duped after they so passionately defended Braun when he first proclaimed his innocence and then was steadfast in said proclamation after winning his appeal.

I suspect Rodgers would be a lot more troubled had it been, say, Jordy Nelson. I get the impression from my FB feed that most people are sad and some are angry, but most Brewers fans figure it's a lost season anyway. If Braun comes back and hits .320 with power next season, they'll welcome him back.

The disappointing thing about Braun is this -- I suspect he really didn't need the stuff. The way he can salvage his career is to succeed in the future without using the PEDs.

The larger question about cheating is complicated, however. There's evidence dating back to Babe Ruth about using equipment for an unfair advantage. Somehow we've become more moralistic about it, but it's tough to take some of that moralism very seriously as long as Gaylord Perry's mug is in Cooperstown.

I suspect Rodgers would be a lot more troubled had it been, say, Jordy Nelson.

Of course, since that would affect his livelihood. But on a personal level, I would guess Rodgers feels betrayed by a guy he considered his friend. I'm certain Rodgers knows full well the impact his voice can have on any matter. To now realize that he used that voice under false pretenses has to bother him a great deal.

The larger question about cheating is complicated, however. There's evidence dating back to Babe Ruth about using equipment for an unfair advantage. Somehow we've become more moralistic about it, but it's tough to take some of that moralism very seriously as long as Gaylord Perry's mug is in Cooperstown.

True, but who is responsible for Perry being in the HOF? It's the Baseball Writers Assoc. who cast the ballots. As long as a player's name appears on the ballot, it's the BBWAA who are essentially the moral magistrate regarding who gets in the Hall.

I know that the Strib's Jim Souhan voted for the likes of Bonds and Clemens this year. His rationale was that since PEDs appeared readily available to the masses in the 90s that all players in that era were essentially on a level playing field. Obviously, the vast majority of baseball writers don't concur with that logic, which is why it's unlikely Bonds, Clemens, McGwire, Sosa or Palmeiro will ever get in to the HOF.

I suspect Brewers fans will forgive Braun, especially if his production is at the level it has been over his career. But mending fences with his peers is a whole other matter.

Of course, since that would affect his livelihood. But on a personal level, I would guess Rodgers feels betrayed by a guy he considered his friend. I'm certain Rodgers knows full well the impact his voice can have on any matter. To now realize that he used that voice under false pretenses has to bother him a great deal.

He didn't use his voice under false pretenses, though. Braun lied to him, which stinks, but I suspect that Rodgers will move on without too much difficulty. He's got a football season to attend to now.

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